Last season, Tennessee pulled off one of the signature wins of the Kim Caldwell era-an upset over UConn in Knoxville that sent a message across women’s college basketball. That victory didn’t just pad the résumé-it propelled the Lady Vols to a Sweet 16 run in Caldwell’s first year at the helm and gave the program a jolt of momentum.
But for UConn, that loss hit differently. It wasn’t just a stumble-it was a wake-up call.
The Huskies didn’t lose another game the rest of the season and rode that fire all the way to a national championship. And now, nearly a year later, they haven’t skipped a beat.
UConn remains undefeated heading into Sunday’s rematch, this time on their home floor in Connecticut. Tip-off is set for noon ET on FOX.
This isn’t just another game. For UConn, it’s a chance to right a wrong. For Tennessee, it’s a shot at reclaiming some rhythm in a season that’s teetering after a tough home loss to Mississippi State.
UConn guard Azzi Fudd didn’t sugarcoat what last year’s loss felt like. “Angry, frustrated, embarrassed,” she said, summing up the locker room mood after the game.
“We all felt like nobody really did their part, pulled their weight. We were mad about our own performances and then how we didn’t show up for each other.”
Those emotions didn’t just fade-they fueled a title run. And now, with many of those same players still in uniform, that memory is front and center.
Head coach Geno Auriemma reflected on how his team responded. While he’s proud of the way they bounced back, there’s still a sting to how that game slipped away.
“There were just so many things you wish you could take back,” Auriemma said. “Moments in the game, plays in the game, that at the time didn’t seem that big but ended up impacting the game pretty significantly.
It was a game that we could’ve won and didn’t win. I think that probably is worse.”
In fact, Auriemma admitted he would’ve preferred a lopsided loss over the narrow 80-76 defeat. The fact that they played well enough to win-and still didn’t-made it harder to swallow.
That’s the kind of loss that sticks with a team. And it’s clear the Huskies haven’t forgotten.
As for Tennessee, this matchup couldn’t come at a more critical time. The Lady Vols are trying to avoid a slide after a home loss that could easily snowball into a rough stretch. A win over UConn wouldn’t just be a headline-it could be the spark they need to steady the ship and rediscover the identity that carried them last March.
Sunday’s game isn’t just about revenge or redemption. It’s about two storied programs meeting at a crossroads-one looking to stay perfect, the other looking to find itself. And as we’ve seen before, when Tennessee and UConn share the court, the stakes are never just about one game.